Improved Pan-European

Indicators for Sustainable

Forest Management
as adopted by the MCPFE Expert Level Meeting
7-8 October 2002, Vienna, Austria

Introduction

ince the first set of Pan-European Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) had been developed in
the early 90s, experience has shown that criteria and indicators are a very important tool for European forest
policy. In the meantime knowledge and data collection systems as well as information needs have gradually developed further. Thus, initiated through the Lisbon Conference in 1998, the Ministerial Conference on the Protection
of Forests in Europe (MCPFE) decided to improve the existing set of Pan-European Indicators for Sustainable Forest
Management.
This document contains the improved set of quantitative and qualitative Pan-European Indicators for Sustainable
Forest Management.
An Advisory Group1, representing relevant organisations in Europe, was formed to ensure that best use is made
of the existing knowledge on indicators and data collection aspects in Europe and to assist the MCPFE during the
improvement process. The Advisory Group consulted with a wide range of experts through a series of four workshops. These workshops ensured that the diversity of national situations and experiences as well as the work undertaken by various bodies in Europe were adequately reflected. The first MCPFE Workshop on the Improvement of
Pan-European Indicators for SFM was held in March 2001 in Triesenberg, Liechtenstein. The second workshop
took place in September 2001 in Copenhagen, Denmark, the third one in January 2002 in Budapest, Hungary. The
fourth and final workshop was convened in May 2002 in Camigliatello Silano, Italy.
The indicators under all criteria, as presented in this document, are results of these four workshops and the work of
the Advisory Group. The improved Pan-European Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management have been adopted
at expert level at the MCPFE Expert Level Meeting on 7-8 October 2002 in Vienna, Austria.2
More detailed information on rationales, international data providers, measurement units, current periodicity of
data availability as well as underlying definitions is given in the supplementary documents Background Information
for Improved Pan-European Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management and Relevant Definitions Used for the
Improved Pan-European Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management.3

Members of the Advisory Group were: Mr. Michael Khl (IUFRO/UNECE Team of Specialists TBFRA 2000), Mr. Thomas Haumann (ICP Forests),
Mr. Tor-Bjrn Larsson (European Environment Agency), Mr. Risto Pivinen (European Forest Institute), Mr. Derek Peare (IWGFS/Eurostat) and
Mr. Christopher Prins (UNECE/FAO).

In the Vienna Living Forest Summit Declaration, signed at the Fourth Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (28-30 April 2003, Vienna,
Austria), the Signatory States and the European Community committed themselves to endorse the use of the Improved Pan-European Indicators for Sustainable
Forest Management as adopted by the MCPFE Expert level Meeting, 7-8 October 2002, Vienna, Austria.

Downloadable at www.mcpfe.org

1 Quantitative Indicators
Criterion 1:
Maintenance and Appropriate Enhancement of Forest Resources and their
Contribution to Global Carbon Cycles

Criterion 3:
Maintenance and Encouragement of
Productive Functions of Forests (Wood
and Non-Wood)

1.1 Forest area

Area of forest and other wooded land, classified by
forest type and by availability for wood supply, and
share of forest and other wooded land in total land area

3.1 Increment and fellings

Balance between net annual increment and annual
fellings of wood on forest available for wood supply

1.2 Growing stock

Growing stock on forest and other wooded land, classified by forest type and by availability for wood supply
1.3 Age structure and/or diameter distribution
Age structure and/or diameter distribution of forest
and other wooded land, classified by forest type and by
availability for wood supply
1.4 Carbon stock
Carbon stock of woody biomass and of soils on forest
and other wooded land

Criterion 2:
Maintenance of Forest Ecosystem Health
and Vitality
2.1 Deposition of air pollutants
Deposition of air pollutants on forest and other wooded
land, classified by N, S and base cations
2.2 Soil condition
Chemical soil properties (pH, CEC, C/N, organic C,
base saturation) on forest and other wooded land
related to soil acidity and eutrophication, classified by
main soil types
2.3 Defoliation
Defoliation of one or more main tree species on forest
and other wooded land in each of the defoliation classes
moderate, severe and dead
2.4 Forest damage
Forest and other wooded land with damage, classified
by primary damaging agent (abiotic, biotic and human
induced) and by forest type

3.2 Roundwood
Value and quantity of marketed roundwood
3.3 Non-wood goods
Value and quantity of marketed non-wood goods from
forest and other wooded land
3.4 Services
Value of marketed services on forest and other wooded
land
3.5 Forests under management plans
Proportion of forest and other wooded land under a
management plan or equivalent

Criterion 4:
Maintenance, Conservation and
Appropriate Enhancement of Biological
Diversity in Forest Ecosystems
4.1 Tree species composition
Area of forest and other wooded land, classified by
number of tree species occurring and by forest type
4.2 Regeneration
Area of regeneration within even-aged stands and unevenaged stands, classified by regeneration type
4.3 Naturalness
Area of forest and other wooded land, classified by
undisturbed by man, by semi-natural or by plantations, each by forest type
4.4 Introduced tree species
Area of forest and other wooded land dominated by
introduced tree species
4.5 Deadwood
Volume of standing deadwood and of lying dead-wood
on forest and other wooded land classified by forest type

4.6 Genetic resources

Area managed for conservation and utilisation of forest
tree genetic resources (in situ and ex situ gene conservation) and area managed for seed production
4.7 Landscape pattern
Landscape-level spatial pattern of forest cover
4.8 Threatened forest species
Number of threatened forest species, classified according to IUCN Red List categories in relation to total
number of forest species
4.9 Protected forests
Area of forest and other wooded land protected to conserve biodiversity, landscapes and specific natural elements, according to MCPFE Assessment Guidelines

Criterion 5:
Maintenance and Appropriate
Enhancement of Protective Functions
in Forest Management (notably Soil
and Water)
5.1

Protective forests soil, water and other

ecosystem functions
Area of forest and other wooded land designated to
prevent soil erosion, to preserve water resources, or to
maintain other forest ecosystem functions, part of
MCPFE Class Protective Functions
5.2

Protective forests infrastructure and

managed natural resources
Area of forest and other wooded land designated to
protect infrastructure and managed natural resources
against natural hazards, part of MCPFE Class Protective Functions

Criterion 6:
Maintenance of Other Socio-Economic
Functions and Conditions
6.1 Forest holdings
Number of forest holdings, classified by ownership
categories and size classes
6.2 Contribution of forest sector to GDP
Contribution of forestry and manufacturing of wood
and paper products to gross domestic product
6.3 Net revenue
Net revenue of forest enterprises
6.4 Expenditures for services
Total expenditures for long-term sustainable services
from forests
6.5 Forest sector workforce
Number of persons employed and labour input in the
forest sector, classified by gender and age group, education and job characteristics
6.6 Occupational safety and health
Frequency of occupational accidents and occupational
diseases in forestry
6.7 Wood consumption
Consumption per head of wood and products derived
from wood
6.8 Trade in wood
Imports and exports of wood and products derived
from wood
6.9 Energy from wood resources
Share of wood energy in total energy consumption,
classified by origin of wood
6.10 Accessibility for recreation
Area of forest and other wooded land where public has
a right of access for recreational purposes and indication of intensity of use
6.11 Cultural and spiritual values
Number of sites within forest and other wooded land
designated as having cultural or spiritual values
= 35 quantitative indicators

2 Qualitative Indicators
A. Overall policies, institutions and instruments for sustainable forest
management
A.1
A.2
A.3
A.4
A.5

National forest programmes or similar

Institutional frameworks
Legal/regulatory frameworks and international commitments
Financial instruments/economic policy
Informational means

B. Policies, institutions and instruments by policy area

Ind.
No.

Policy area

Crit.

Main
objectives

Relevant
institutions

Main policy instruments used

Legal/
regulatory

B.1

C1

Land use and

forest area and
OWL1

B.2

C1

Carbon balance

B.3

C2

Health and vitality

B.4

C3

Production and
use of wood

B.5

C3

Production and
use of non-wood
goods and
services, provision
of especially
recreation

B.6

C4

Biodiversity

B.7

C5

Protective forests
and OWL

B.8

C6

Economic viability

B.9

C6

Employment (incl.
safety and health)

B.10

C6

Public awareness
and participation

B.11

C6

Research, training
and education

B.12

C6

Cultural and
spiritual values

OWL = other wooded land

Financial/
economic

Informational

Significant
changes
since last
Ministerial
Conference

Photo: Rainer Heienberger

Published by the
MCPFE Liaison Unit Vienna
MCPFE, 2003

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